Daily Edition

"Warehouse 13" and shows like it will continue to air on the new Syfy in Australia

Selena Crowley, Shannon Most and Hannah Deeth join the group as it prepares to launch Syfy channel in Australia and New Zealand next year.

SYDNEY -- Universal Networks International has made several key appointments to its Asia Pacific team as the group expands its channel lineup in Australia and New Zealand.

Ahead of the January launch of the Syfy channel, UNI has named Shannon Most as marketing director, Australia and New Zealand; and Selena Crowley, programming director, Australia and New Zealand. Both will bebased in Sydney. Hannah Deeth has also joined as marketing director, South East Asia, based in Singapore.

Crowley and Most join UNI from the TV1 Partnership, which operates general entertainment channel TV1 and SciFi channel (now SF). The TV1 Partnership is a joint venture of CBS Studios International, UNI parent NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Television International, supplying those channels to pay TV platform Foxtel.

In August, Foxtel said it would not renew a carriage deal for TV1 and SF and the channels will shutter Dec. 31.

Instead SF will relaunch as SyFy down under in the new year, operated by UNI. It is unclear what will happen to TV, which carries dramas and comedies including the Law and Order and CSI franchises, Seinfeld, Frasier and 30 Rock.

UNI operates the Universal Channel, E! Entertainment Television, 13th Street – which last weekend was the top-rated pay TV channel in this market for the first time in its four-year history -- and the Style channel, as well as DIVA Universal, Syfy and the Golf Channel in the Asia Pacific Region.

Crowley starts at UNI in late October and will be responsible for leading content acquisitions and promoting localization across the channel brands. Previously, she was director of programming and acquisitions at TV1 and Sci Fi (now SF), managing drama production for the channels.

Most is responsible for leading marketing efforts across all UNI’s channel brands in Australia and New Zealand. He joins from TV1 and SF, where he was head of marketing overseeing the marketing and ad sales functions for the channels.

Meanwhile Deeth begins her new post Oct. 16, driving marketing campaigns across the channel brands. Deeth comes from BSkyB where she was head of platform marketing, entertainment content.

UNI is currently recruiting for a managing director for its Australia and New Zealand channel business.

Christine Fellowes, managing director, Asia Pacific, UNI said: “Universal Networks International is at an exciting point in its growth within the Asia Pacific region and the appointments of Hannah, Shannon and Selena are integral to our continued success. Each brings a wealth of experience, regional knowledge and expertise that will complement our existing teams, helping to build upon current strategies and drive new ones.”